The Clash
London Calling

THE REVIEW

Few albums in the history of rock can be defined as "masterpieces" without fear of being considered exaggerations: "London Calling" fully belongs in this category.

The Clash create something extraordinary here: a formidable work from the first to the last note, characterized by a variety of styles and musical genres that form a perfect alchemy. It's 1979 and with this album, the band is preparing to definitively soar beyond punk territories, after the rough self-titled debut album and "Give'em Enough Rope", where one could already sense that something was changing.

Their choice was certainly not an easy one; they knew well that the fans from the early days wouldn't accept this "betrayal", but at the same time, the guys were aware of a talent that couldn’t remain trapped within the narrow confines of such a raw genre. So, there was a total openness to new sounds, without forgetting the grit and that "positive charge" that their music has released from the very beginning.
And it is in this climate that immortal tracks like the title track are born, an absolute masterpiece that in three minutes projects the album into legend: great rhythm and a "Clash-style" text are the main ingredients. And what about the ska of "Rudie Can't Fail"? Really hard to stay still while listening to it.

"Spanish Bombs", as the title suggests, takes you into the atmosphere of the Spanish civil war with a chorus (partly in Spanish) that gets inside you. The rock of "I'm not down", the reggae of "Revolution Rock", "The Guns of Brixton", and that little gem initially discarded by Joe Strummer and company titled "Train in vain" are the other most exhilarating episodes of an album that doesn't present any weak moments, not a single instant where we are given a pause: a war won against fillers. Punk, Old School Rock (incidentally, the historic cover is an homage to an old Elvis album), Ska, Reggae, and some Jazz brushstrokes ("Jimmy Jazz") all condensed into 65 minutes, without ever losing the album's delicate balance.

With "London Calling", The Clash reach the pinnacle of their exceptional career and it is amazing to think that within a few months, Joe, Mick, Topper, and Paul would be back in the studio to release a work of the caliber of "Sandinista", an ambitious project in which they would push musical experimentation further, while creating yet another masterpiece. Few other bands in history can boast of having had such a happy moment of creativity and inspiration, and it is easy to overlook the fact that after "Sandinista", the inevitable decline of The Clash would begin, torn by the internal conflict between Jones and Strummer.

The most worthy successors of the other golden pair of rock: Lennon-McCartney. And the comparison stands.